Zero-Carbon Building: Rule-Based Design and Scheduling Adapting to Seasonal Time-of-Use Electricity Prices

Against the backdrop of the global advancement of carbon neutrality goals and the energy transition in the building sector, zero-carbon buildings have emerged as pivotal enablers for achieving carbon neutrality in the construction industry. The rule-based scheduling of energy storage systems (ESS) is critical to enhancing energy efficiency and economic performance of buildings. This study takes the Jinan Zero-Carbon Operation Center Project in Shandong Province as the research object, developing a comprehensive technical framework covering the entire process from design to operation, and investigates the rule-based design and ESS scheduling strategies in response to Shandong’s newly implemented seasonal time-of-use (TOU) electricity pricing policy. First, core performance indicators are defined in accordance with national evaluation standards for zero-carbon buildings. Hourly building energy loads and photovoltaic (PV) generation profiles are simulated over a full year, which serves as the basis for determining the optimal PV installed capacity and ESS sizing. Second, an ESS scheduling strategy integrating PV generation forecasting and the seasonal TOU electricity price structure is formulated, with clear charging and discharging logic defined. Finally, the operational and economic performance of different scheduling modes are evaluated and compared through case studies. The results show that the annual PV generation ratio reaches 101.38%, with a self-consumption rate of 73% and a self-sufficiency rate of 72%, all meeting the core requirements for zero-carbon buildings. Compared with the conventional real-time scheduling mode (Mode 1), the proposed optimized mode (Mode 2) that incorporates TOU pricing and PV forecasting achieves an annual operational cost saving of 367,349 CNY, corresponding to a reduction of 47.02%. Distinct seasonal variations in core indicators are also observed: the PV generation ratio is lower in summer and winter but the self-consumption rate is higher, with the opposite trend in spring and autumn. The proposed technical framework and scheduling strategy provide practical guidance for the design and operational optimization of zero-carbon buildings and offer decision-making support for ESS operation under TOU electricity pricing policies.